Goodbye Fairy, Hello Spriggan
by Dragon-sensie
Summary: Do you ever wonder what it would have been like...if Lucy of Fairy Tail became Lucy the Spriggan? What if her heritage was just a little bit different than we know...more complicated than Erza's or August's combined? Alternate post-Tartarus and Alvarez arks...Read at your own risk...
1. Chapter 1

_Tartaros._

What an absolutely dreadful experience. Of course, I might have handled it better had I told someone about what had happened that day. I might have, if there was someone left to tell. But there wasn't. The guild disbanded the day after, and in the week following, everyone left Magnolia. Well, everyone except myself that is.

Who am I? My name is Lucy Heartfilia. Although I've come to the conclusion that my existence is no longer important, that is to say if it was before, which I've come to doubt. My friends, my celestial spirits, seem to insist that I am important, but I find that hard to believe. After all, not a single person came to say goodbye when they left. The only thing I got was a note from Natsu. Well, to be fair, I suppose that's something, at least.

I glanced down at the handle of Aquarius's broken key, rubbing my thumb over the familiar symbol of the water bearer. Sighing I attached the broken key to the chain Virgo had given me, and fastened the clasp to secure it around my neck. Standing up from my spot on my bed I went around my room once again, double-checking that I had everything I would be taking packed up in the two giant chests sitting in the middle of my apartment. I somehow managed to pack all of my books, my letters to Mom and Dad, and all of my photo albums and anything else important in one, and all of my clothes, shoes, and accessories of any sort in the other. Sitting atop these was a small pack, one I would frequently use during missions, packed with a few day's worth of necessities.

As for my apartment, empty picture frames lined the walls, and my desk was cleared of all things that were personal, leaving behind only a neatly stacked pile of blank paper, an ink well, and a single quill pen. The bed beside the window was neatly made with clean sheets, and all the floors were clean. The bathroom and kitchen barren of everything except for what was originally found there, and all the windows in the small apartment were cleaned, as well as the curtains hanging from them.

Suddenly I heard a knock on the door, and I allowed myself a moment of hope. Had someone come back for me? But then I remembered, no one in the guild, not even sweet little Wendy and overly formal Carla, knocked before they came in. So, with a sigh, I opened the door, and forced a smile onto my face. A woman, about my height, stood on the other side of the door, with a rather unimpressed look on her face. She had mint green hair cut in a bob, with unusual cross-shaped objects peaking out like horns from her head. She wore and outfit similar to a bikini with chains for straps, high-heeled sandals and an long coat with flower-prints and fur trimming. "May I help you?" I asked, forcing myself to sound cheerful. The woman remained indifferent to my facade. "My name is Brandish μ, and I have come to kill you, Lucy Heartfilia." The woman, Brandish, said. I blinked, than sighed. "Well, you aren't the first, Miss μ. Why don't you come in so we can talk about your reasons?" I asked, stepping aside so she could come in.

She took a moment to look around, then sat herself down on the couch. "Are you going on a trip?" Brandish asked as I moved to sit on the smaller couch. "I suppose so. As for where, I'm not sure. Now then, why exactly have you come to kill me? I didn't think I was important enough for someone to hire an assassin." I said.

 **Normal POV  
** "What makes you think I've been hired?" Brandish asked. "For one, I'd remember meeting someone as...diverse as you. Two, you don't strike me as a Celestial Spirit mage, so you aren't here for my keys, unless your employer wants my keys for whatever reason they would want them this time. And three, Fairy Tail has, or had, a rather extensive list of dark guilds and mages that find it less than favorable. So it is a possibility that you were sent to...remove one of it's weaker members, or maybe one from one of it's formerly most powerful teams, and decided that I would work for the job." Lucy said. "Of course you could have also been hired to eliminate me simply because I'm Jude Heartfilia's daughter. Although that one doesn't make much sense due to the fact that my fathers dead." She finished.

Brandish blinked. "While I admit that those are all logical reasons, I'm not here on behalf of anyone other than myself. Your mother killed mine, and since she's already dead, you'll be taking Layla's place!" Brandish exclaimed, launching herself over the table at Lucy, wrapping her hands around Lucy's neck. "W-while...I don't believe...that my m-mother...would do something...l-like that...if this will...g-give you...p-peace...than go ahead...and do it...I don't...h-have...anything...t-to...live...for...a-anymore..." Lucy gasped out, not even bothering to struggle.

Brandish's eyes widened as she let go of Lucy's neck. Lucy slumped on the couch below her, gasping for air. "Why'd...why'd you stop? This is what...you wanted, isn't it?" Lucy croaked out. "I'm okay with it, really I am! Just let me go see Mama!" Lucy cried out desperately.

"Old Friend, is this really what Aquarius's separation has done to you? Or perhaps this is the result of broken bonds? Why do you belittle yourself in such ways?!" A booming voice echoed throughout the room. Or, at least it was a room. Now, it was the night sky, with only the two couches and the small table. "W-what are you?!" Brandish exclaimed, backing away from the giant man. "I am the Celestial Spirit King. Tell me, human girl, are you so lost in grief over the loss of you mother that you would kill an infant?!" The King growled. "Infant? She is a grown woman! How was I going to kill a child?" Brandish asked. However the Spirit King paid her no attention. "And you, Old Friend! Would you really let your unborn child die? I thought you valued the lives of your fellow humans, even more so your family!"

"U-unborn child? What are you talking about?!" Lucy exclaimed. "Do you mean to tell me, Old Friend, that you do not know?" The King asked, shock evident in his voice. "Stash-face, what are you talking about?" Lucy asked quietly.

"Jeez, have you really not figured out yet brat? You're pregnant!" Another voice growled out. Lucy and Brandish's head turned to the new voice. "Aquarius?!" They exclaimed. "Yeah, it's me, what are you blind?" The mermaid grumbled. Lucy fell to her knees in tears. "I'm sorry, Aquarius, I'm so sorry I-!" Her cries were cut off as arms wrapped around her. "Listen here, brat, the only reason I haven't hit you with a tsunami yet is because Draco and the King would kill me before I could say 'Scorpio'. That, and I don't drown babies." The mermaid spirit let go of the blonde mage with a slight smile on her face. "And as for you..." Aquarius said turning to Brandish. "What the hell do think you're doing?!" She roared at the green haired girl. "Layla did _not_ kill Grammi! Get that through your head you brat!"

"W-what?" Brandish asked. "Grammi was not killed by Layla, but by Zoldeo. And it wouldn't matter whether or not Layla killed her anyways. Lucy's not really her daughter."

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Now this is the first time I've written a fanfiction of this...genre, so I hope you all like it! Feel free to comment, and see you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Normal POV  
** "What?" Lucy asked in a daze. "Oh, so that's why you hate me so much! It's because I'm not Mama's-no, I guess I should say Layla's-daughter, isn't it?" Lucy laughed hysterically. "I always thought it was because I did something wrong, but I guess this makes much more sense!" Lucy cried, curling into herself on the galaxy-like floor. Arms wrapped around her again, and warm tears fell onto her head. "You never did anything wrong, and I should have never treated you that way." Aquarius cried. "I was just so frustrated, and confused, and I just...took it out on you." Lucy looked up at the mermaid spirit. "Confused?" She asked.

"She, like many other spirits, couldn't understand why you left us all, Old Friend." The Spirit King said. "I don't get it, when did I leave you?" The blonde mage asked. "Long ago, before time in Earthland began, the first Celestial Spirits were born. The dragon, Draco, the maiden of the river of the stars, Eridanus, the fire bird, Phoenix, and myself. We knew that other spirits would be born as well, and decided that we would need a ruler. After a long period of time, they chose me, and decided that they would be the council. By then, Draco and Eridanus had become a mated pair, and were expecting their first child.

Eventually, Eridanus gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Lucille. By the time Lucille had grown into a child, the Zodiacs were born, and not long after, the silver spirits followed. The young girl was overjoyed at the arrival of her new friends, and grew close to all the spirits, and even chose Leo as the leader of the Zodiacs.

As time went on the child became a young woman. She had grown to become a beautiful and powerful spirit, loved by every one of her fellow spirits. She possessed the magic of both her parents, as well as magic of her own. It's origins and purpose was unknown to all of us spirits, including Lucille herself. And as time went on, she began to feel worthless within the spirit realm, and would often seek comfort in viewing Earthland's people. One night, a young girl, lost and alone, dropped to the ground in a clearing, tired and sobbing in defeat. She looked up to the stars, eyes wide and hopeful, and asked the heavens to send her a friend.

Lucille's desire to help the child caused a instinctual reaction, and before she even knew it, Lucille was whispering instructions to the child, telling her to imagine a key. _"And when you have your key, shout in a commanding voice, "Open, Gate of the River Dragon, Lucille!"_

The child, ever so full of joy that her prayers were heard, decided that this key would be more beautiful than any other key ever known, and imagined a golden key, with jewels more precious than diamonds decorating the body, and a symbol she thought a water dragon might like carved into the handle. Before her eyes the key came into existence, and so she sliced it through the air in front of her, and shouted the words the faint voice had whispered. And as the voice said, space and time seemed to warp in front of her, and not a moment later, a woman appeared bowing before her. The child seemed shocked, than pointed an accusing finger at the woman. "You aren't a dragon!" She shouted. The woman only smiled though, and stood up. "I assure you, I am very much a dragon, just as much as I am a spirit. Now tell me, young one, what am I to call my mistress?" The child looked shocked, then said quietly, "My name is Blue." The spirit smiled. "No last name?" The child shook her head. "Then from this night forward, your name is Blue Heartfilia, and you shall be the very first Celestial Spirit Mage." The spirit declared, holding a hand out to her grinning master.

From that day on, Lucille took care of Blue like a mother would her child, and as the girl turned into a young woman, Lucille learned the true purpose of her magic, and with the help of Blue, they created more keys. However, the flaws in the spirit's magic soon became known, when a silver spirit took a life-threatening blow for his master, and was unable to defend himself. The silver spirit was killed, and Blue was captured by a dark guild, forced under the influence of a powerful mage to do their bidding. For weeks, they made her summon her beloved spirits, and the dark mages would experiment on them, and in some cases, kill them. However, when the day came that they forced her to summon Draco, chaos ensued. Enraged, the mighty dragon attacked every human mage that dared hurt his master and fellow spirits. The assault continued until he had exhausted his magic, and the humans retaliated with an attack that forced him back to the spirit realm.

Despite the best efforts of Phoenix, Draco passed, causing grief throughout the spirit realm. His mate, Eridanus, driven by her despair, forced open her own gate, and rampaged Earthland, until she was cursed by a powerful wizard. The curse made it so that if and when she opened her own gate again, she would wander Earthland as a mortal woman, until she chose to close her gate again.

Phoenix's guilt at being unable to save the dragon led him to merge his healing magic with the very atmosphere of the Spirit Realm itself, causing it to heal any and all of it's residents, leaving them unable to die via injury. However, as with any powerful magic, the price for the safety of his fellow spirits was his own life. The loss of the Celestial Spirit High Council left a devastating mark on our history, and an even darker one on Lucille.

For almost 300 human years she had retreated into herself, and refused to use her magic out of fear for her fellow spirits' lives. She even refused contracts with any wizards that attained her key. But one day, a young girl, no less than six years old, summoned Lucille. The girl's name was Anna Heartfilia, and she had been a descendant of Lucille's first master. From that day forward Lucille raised Anna in the same way she raised Blue, and for the first time in a long time, actually seemed to be happy." The Spirit King had a small smile on his face for a moment, then he frowned. This was not lost on Lucy or Brandish though. "What happened then?" The green-haired wizard asked in a seemingly bored tone.

"Acnologia happened."

* * *

 **Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long to finish the chapter. I was actually a little surprised when someone asked when the next chapter was going to be out, but there's a first for everything! Anyways, I hope you all like it, and for those of you who live in the US, happy late Independence Day!**

 **Dragon Sensei~~**


	3. Chapter 3

"The arrival of the deadly black dragon spread fear throughout Ishgar. Ironically, it was Zeref who came up with a plan to defeat him. He would build an Eclipse Gate, and during that time, the five dragons who agreed to the plan would train their own slayers, who would be sent to an era when etherious would be larger. As you've probably figured out by now, those slayers were Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, Sting and Ryos, who now goes by Rogue. And so on the night of the Eclipse, Anna used the zodiac keys to open the gate.

Eventually, 400 years later, on July 7th, X777, Layla opened the Eclipse Gate. However since she had given my key to Grammi, who received the message late, she was forced to use her own magic in place of my key. Later, Grammi returned to the Heartfilia mansion to find Layla on her deathbed, and returned my key. After Layla's death Grammi began the journey home, only to be attack and killed by Zoldeo in an act of rage and grief. Grammi's last breath was used begging Zoldeo not to hurt her daughter." Aquarius explained, scowling at the memory.

"And then he fused himself with Capricorn." Lucy said grimly as she watched the Star Memory fade. She was caught by surprise by Brandish's sobbing, but hugged the woman in an attempt to sooth her nonetheless. When the green-haired mage calmed down, she scowled at the starry floor. "Then I suppose I must take his life instead." She said darkly. Lucy, surprisingly, laughed. "Hate to break it to you, but he's already dead." Brandish visibly deflated, but Lucy continued anyways. "Loke, or Leo the Lion, killed him while freeing Capricorn. So in a way, your mother has already been avenged." She finished before turning back to Aquarius and the King. "Anyways, what happened to Lucille?" She asked.

The King sighed. "One of the conditions of Anna opening the gate, was that she wanted to go into the future with the slayers, as their teacher. So, before she went through the gate, she used what little magic she still had at the time to break all of her contracts, and gave the keys to her daughter, who was a grown woman with a family of her own. As time went on, the keys became separated, and the water dragon's key was lost to time.

And like her key, Lucille was lost without a master to take care of, but continued to watch over the Heartfilia's as the years past by. Eventually, Lucille found herself watching over Layla and her unborn first child. She grew more wary as the months passed by, and on the day of the child's birth, she understood the reason. Layla had been told for the longest time that she couldn't have children, and it had been a miracle when the couple had found out she was expecting.

Or so they thought. The baby was stillborn, and it brought great grief to the Heartfilias. Immediately after the infant's birth Lucille came to me, and asked me to transfer her into the baby girl, with no memory of her past life as a spirit or any of her magic." Lucy's eyes widened as she realized what the Spirit King was saying.

 **Lucy's POV  
** _'Ma-Layla wasn't supposed to be able to have children? Wait. Does Stash-face mean-?!'_ My thoughts were cut off as he continued. "With much reluctance and sadness, I agreed to her request, seeing that she wouldn't budge on her decision. So as Layla hugged her baby for the first and seemingly last time, the baby girl began to cry. And so did everyone else. It was a miracle, a gift from the heavens, that the baby girl lived. So they named you Lucy, because you were a gift of light." Stash-face said with small smile.

And then I lost it. I dropped onto one of the couches crying. I was happy, sad, angry, and everything else at the moment, and it came out in tears. I was more of a mess then Brandish was ten minutes ago. ' _Damn pregnancy hormones!'_ And then I was crying even harder. Because I was pregnant, and apparently at some point a Celestial Spirit, and Brandish just tried to kill me, and Aquarius is standing right in front of me, and-

I couldn't even think at that point, because it was all to much. ' _It doesn't help that I really want some fire right now. Hold on. Fire. I want some fire. Not because I'm cold, not because it's dark, but because I'm hungry. And I want fire.'_ And then I was crying even _harder. 'Now I remember exactly who the father is, and when it happened. And I'm about four months pregnant. Holy shit my baby almost got killed by demons! I'm a horrible mother!'_

And apparently I said that out loud because Aquarius hugged me again. "You know, Layla got attacked by a wyvern before she found out and even she didn't cry this much. The fire brat's gonna get hell the next time I see him!" And then, if it's possible, I was crying even _harder_.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! I hope this chapter didn't seem rushed, and I hope you all enjoy. Also, if no one could figure out who the father is(I highly doubt that though, I think I made it obvious), it will be revealed next chapter. (Along with a few other things.) See you all next time,**

 **~Dragon-sensei**


	4. Chapter 4

"So, how exactly do you forget that you...did things...with someone?" Brandish asked, uncomfortable with the current situation. The blonde mother-to-be was bawling her eyes out on the mermaid spirit's shoulder, apparently craving fire. She sniffled as she rubbed at her eyes, a soft but pained smile on her face. "I won't go into the details, but after the Grand Magic Games, our guild threw a party to celebrate our win. Natsu and I had watched my future self die in my arms, and were pretty shaken. Long story short, we got really drunk, and apparently I got pregnant." Lucy laughed weakly.

Brandish pondered her options for a moment. Now that she knew Lucy's mother was innocent, she wasn't sure what to do. On the other hand, she felt a connection with the blonde in an odd way. Maybe it was because they both grew up without their mothers, or maybe it was something else. But either way, she felt the need to help the apparently ancient mage. "You said that Lucy was a powerful celestial spirit, right?" Brandish asked the king. The spirit king nodded, an eyebrow raised. "She was, what of it?" He asked. "Can that power, and her memories, be returned to her?" The green-haired mage asked. "It can, but only if my Old Friend is willing to take on her burden as the Dragon Princess once more." The king said.

"What are you getting at, brat?" Aquarius asked. "I have a proposition for Lucy. One that will ensure the safe and comfortable upbringing of her child." Brandish began. "Go on." Lucy said, curiosity taking hold. "I am from Alvarez, a country across the sea to the west. For the most part, we are a peaceful nation, ruled by our kind Emperor, whom goes by the name of Spriggan. The Emperor has twelve 'shields', known as the Spriggan 12. The 12 are all some of the most powerful wizards in the world, and as such each one possesses their own unique magic. Including myself, there are currently 11 Spriggans. As such, we are in need of another, final Spriggan." Brandish continued. "There are many perks to being a Spriggan, including housing in the palace, and the ability to come and go as we please. However if you choose to come with me, there might be other powerful wizards that have gathered to claim the title of the twelfth Spriggan. From what I've gathered so far, you will likely find taking the title will be relatively easy, wouldn't you think?" Brandish asked.

Lucy pondered the options in her head, rubbing her stomach absentmindedly. Without a guild, raising a child would be difficult, and even if she joined a guild taking any job that would support her and her baby would be even more dangerous than usual, especially within the next few months. Scratch that, it would be next to impossible. She wouldn't even think of doing anything that could potentially harm the baby. Which brought rise to another problem.

"Would 'unlocking' as Brandish put it, my sealed magic and memories affect the health of my child in any way?" She asked the Spirit king. The giant spirit chuckled. "Of course not, Old Friend. In fact, it would likely be dangerous for your pregnancy to continue any farther without restoring you to your original form. The odds are that that child will be a dragon slayer, and even more likely that they will possess the same magic as both you and their father." He explained. "Which means?" Lucy asked. "Which means, that you will need to eat things like fire, iron, and even poisons to maintain the health of both you and your child. And we both know that your current form will not be able to handle the needs of an elemental dragon, let alone two." The king sighed tiredly. This was turning out to be a very long visit, and it was starting to strain his magical energy. "It would be best if I reversed the spell now, because even a being as powerful as myself cannot stay in Earthland for long. Are you ready, Old Friend?"

Lucy grinned as she stepped towards the Celestial Spirit King. "I'm ready, Stash-face. Let's do this quick, because the baby's demanding fire!" She exclaimed. Brandish smiled to herself. At one point, she had heard that Lucy Heartfilia was the sanest member of Fairy Tail. If she was the sanest, she could only imagine what the others were like. One thing was for sure though, Brandish was really starting to like the crazy Dragon-mama.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! First off, as usual, sorry for taking so long, but I think a lot of us writers have been saying that lately, huh? Back to the subject at hand, I will say this officially, because at this point it would be rude not to.**

 **I cannot hold a schedule for writing my stories by any means, so my chapters will probably always be completely random. (Kinda like a new chapter for the Fire Brigade of Flames, if anyone other than me reads it) Anyways, who else is still waiting to see Dragon Cry? Show of hands people!**

 **Till next time,**

 **~Dragon-Sensei**


	5. Chapter 5

The usual day in Magnolia always started off with a magical bang of some sort, whether it be the intense pressure given off by powerful mages, or a literal explosion, the day was never truly normal without it. Or, at least before Fairy Tail disbanded anyways.

So one could see why everyone was so surprised by the sudden wave of magical pressure coming from a certain apartment on Strawberry street. After a few moments though, Magnolia's citizens continued on with their days with a shrug, assuming that a certain dragon slayer angered Magnolia's resident Celestial Spirit mage.

If only they knew what really happened that morning.

 **Brandish's POV  
** I wasn't normally intimidated by magical beings, but this one surely made want to bow in submission. Of course I wouldn't actually do that, but the point remains.

The Celestial Spirit King truly held up to his name.

He stood towering over the other beings in this space-pocket, staring intently down at the blonde woman in the center of it. A magic circle had appeared beneath her, the symbols unlike anything I'd seen before. The king began the incantation, and his voice sounded like hundreds overlapping each other. Men and women. Children and elderly. The words he spoke were so unnatural that I wasn't sure he was saying them, or if they were strange background noises.

Lucy, however, seemed to understand them perfectly, and replied to what I now realize was a question in the same language. She got down on one knee and placed her palms down on the magic circle, causing it to light up. She began to speak once more, in a way that suggested she was pledging her life to something. Her body began to glow as well, and the light she emitted seemed to give of warmth, giving me the feeling of being embraced. The light became blinding, and for a long moment, I could see nothing.

When the light faded, it took me a moment to recognize the blonde mage. Gone was the clothing she wore before, replaced with a red kimono with golden trim. The hair that once reached just below her shoulders now nearly touched the floor. And when she opened her eyes the innocent doe-brown eyes had turned into dragon-like red ones, reflecting years of wisdom behind them. Lucy stood, and magical power stronger than even the King's flooded my very being, suffocating me before sharply declining, feeling like a welcoming breeze rather than the paralyzing storm it was moments earlier. Regardless, the force behind made me bow in submission, recognizing the blonde before me as the god-like powerhouse she was.

"Rise, friend Brandish, I will do you no harm." She said, smiling in what appeared to be amusement as she walked up to me. "I didn't bow because I wanted to, your power just threw me off." I pouted. Lucy chuckled, the noise sounding like a combination of chiming bells and a massive explosion. It was strange really, how the unusual sound made me feel relaxed rather than tense. "Well then, let me help you up." She said, offering me her hand. I took it reluctantly, eyeing the blonde warily as she smiled innocently. She pulled me up with little to no effort, surprising me with her strength.

It was in that moment that I noticed the odd feeling her hand had, so I looked down at it, gasping in slight surprise.

She had a prosthetic right hand.

* * *

 **I live! And once again, sorry for the late chapter. Well, I suppose I don't really have a schedule, but I should still write more often. Anyways, because I'm not sure when the next time I'll have another chapter ready is, Happy Halloween!**

 **Also, colds are stupid.**

 **Till next time,**

 **~Dragon-Sensei**


	6. Chapter 6

**Lucy's POV  
** It was an ethereal feeling, to be given back my status as a celestial spirit. Although painful, my returned memories taught me lessons I'd long since forgotten. Forced to experience each moment in my eternal life, I remembered just how I'd gotten my mechanical arm. The regret that shone in father's eyes still haunts me to this day, a memory that I now realize I never truly forgot, but rather thought it to be a recurring nightmare.

Brandish was still staring at the metal hand that held her own, a look of fascinated bewilderment taking over her face as she examined it. It was old, designed by Metalicana himself. It was a painful process, getting put on. Each nerve connected to a special wire inside, not a single mistake could be made. Each detail was hand, or rather, claw crafted to what the mighty dragon saw as perfection.

"Thank you, your Majesty, for allowing me to keep my guild mark. And thank you for returning my title as a spirit that serves under you." I said, bowing in respect to the Spirit King. A booming laugh surrounded us. "No need for formalities, old friend. I've grown rather fond of my given nickname." He chuckled. "Very well, Stache-face." I said with a smile. "Now then, while it's always nice to see you, I believe it is time for you to go home." Stache-face smiled as he faded out of existence, and with him, the pocket in space. "Until next time, old friend."

With a fond sigh, I turned to face Brandish. "Now then, let's go get some fire, ya?"

 **Normal POV  
** Lucy walked happily down the dirt path in the middle of the forest, humming a strange tune as she went. After she had found and eaten the fire she wanted, she insisted that they go and see a woman by the name of Porlyusica. The old healer apparently specialized in mage anatomy, something that was relatively rare.

Brandish's thoughts were interrupted when they came to a stop a few feet away from what she assumed was the healer's home. It was a giant tree. Lucy didn't seem bothered by it, in fact she seemed to perk up even more. The woman happily knocked on the door, only to have it swing open within inches of the blonde's face. A grumpy looking pink haired woman stood in the doorway, broom ready to swing in her hands. "What do you want, brat?!" The woman exclaimed before taking in Lucy's appearance.

Lucy's hair nearly reached the ground, falling in strangely neat waves down her back. She wore a sundress covered in cherry blossom patterns. Now that Brandish was paying attention, she noticed the slight curve to the woman's stomach. And it seemed the grumpy old woman did too. Her eyes widened a fraction before dragging the still smiling blonde inside, giving Brandish a rather nasty look before gesturing for the green-haired woman to follow.

"Who?" Porlyusica asked. "If you're asking who the _father_ is, that would be Natsu." Lucy replied. The old healer stared long and hard at the blonde, a calculating gleam in her eye. Lucy stared back unwavering, the silence continuing until the healer sighed. "He doesn't know, does he?" The woman asked, an uncharacteristically soft look on her face. Lucy frowned. "No. And he's run off to who knows where, so until we meet again he likely never will."

"And I assume you came here for a checkup?" Porlyusica asked. Lucy smiled again. "Of course! You're the only person besides Wendy that I would trust to handle this properly. As we both know, ordinary doctors would demand I be watched 24/7, and have no idea how to handle the unborn child of a dragon slayer."

"Damn straight! Those stupid humans would rather experiment on a helpless child then actually give them the right care!" Porlyusica ranted as she guided the blonde to a bed sitting towards the back of the room. Brandish awkwardly stood near the door, slightly afraid of the old healer. The pink-haired woman moved around the room with practiced ease, collecting different herbs and vials and old-looking books. Before long Porlyusica gave a surprised gasp, nearly dropping the book she was holding. She turned to Lucy with a slight smile on her face, making the blonde extremely nervous.

"Twins."

"What?!" Lucy asked in disbelief. "You, by all things magical, are having twins. Two hatchlings." Porlyusica huffed, back to her usual grumbling self. After Lucy's shock wore off, she gently laid her hand on her stomach, marveling at the news. The moment faded quickly, however, when Porlyusica handed her a bag full of small jars and vials. "Under normal circumstances, I would send you off with a list of vitamins to get. However, since you are a celestial spirit, and these are children of a dragon slayer, you need a massively different set of health guidelines." She then handed the blonde a small stack of books. "As I'm sure you know, any expecting mother needs to eat more than usual, especially when having more than one child. In your case, you would also need to consume the elements that the dragon slayer normally eat. So you need to-" Lucy cut the healer off. "Eat fire, I know. And since as a spirit I am the daughter of Draco and Eridanus, I would need to eat a large variety of elements and drink celestial water." Porlyusica nodded and continued. "You would also need to spend at least a day in the celestial spirit world, so that the hatchlings would be able to survive on the magical energy of both worlds. As they will likely become spirits at some point themselves, it is necessary that they are able to live there without fear of suffocating with the change in magical energy."

The healer handed Lucy a small lacrama. "This will, when magic is pushed into it, scan you and the hatchlings' bodies, and send a copy of the scan to myself. It will allow you to view previous scans at any time as well. Think of it as an ultrasound, as the humans call it. I expect that you contact me if there are any changes that you find concerning, or if you simply wish to ask questions about the pregnancy in general. However," The old woman gave Lucy a pointed look. "I do not wish to receive any calls because of mood swings or for simple conversation. Understood?" Lucy nodded. "Good. Now then, read those books thoroughly as soon as possible, and follow the schedule and instructions on taking the vitamins I've given you. They should last up to eight months, though you likely won't need them for that long. Now, get out of my house! And take the walking tree with you!" Porlyusica shouted.

Lucy smiled to herself as she and Brandish walked towards the harbor. They had ridden the train to Hargeon, where Lucy found to her slight surprise that it didn't make her sick. After Porlyusica had chased them out of her house with her broom, Brandish had been silent. So Lucy spent her time chatting with Plue. The dog had put his paws excitedly on Lucy's stomach, hoping to feel some form of movement. "Plue, they aren't big enough to kick around yet. Give it a few more months, then you'll feel it." After that he still kept his paws in place, but Lucy didn't mind. She figured that word must've gotten around the spirit realm quickly, which meant that her mother must have heard as well. Not that she expected her to come.

One of the things Lucy liked about her life as a human was the unwavering love she had gotten from Layla. The wonderful woman would always play with Lucy when she asked, no matter what she was doing. Although she would never replace her birth mother, it hurt when she knew that the river spirit would likely never look her in the eye again, much less approach Lucy willingly. For much the same reason Jude never looked at her after Layla's death, Eridanus always used to tell Lucy as a hatchling that she looked strikingly similar to Draco. And so, Lucy was forced against her will to be a painful reminder of a lost loved one.

Lucy glanced down at her metal arm, clenching her fist. Stache-face had been kind enough to return her status as a spirit, and even went as far as making her the new dragon queen. But there was one thing that he couldn't do, and though Lucy felt like she was betraying her friends, she was thankful for it. Her bright pink guildmark had disappeared, for the magical stamp that placed it there only worked on skin.

Lucy was pulled from her thoughts when Brandish spoke for the first time in hours.

"Do I really look like a walking tree?"

* * *

 **I'm alive! Sorry it took so long, but sadly, writer's block is the biggest bitch out there, and loves playing with my mind. That, and as a teenager, education is important. Putting that aside, to the reader who said Lucille got, and I quote, 'Luke Skywalkered', I was actually thinking of the design for Shiro's arm from Voltron.**

 **Speaking of Voltron, I'm working on a fic for it, titled: _'And I'd Do It All Again'._ I'll also be posting the story, and these stories, on Ao3, under my brand-new account under the same name. For those of you looking for a more visual idea of what it's gonna be like, keep a look out on my DeviantArt, NanamiTakatsuki (Forgive the not-so-good art). See you all next time!**

 **Your fashionably late author,**

 **~Dragon-Sensei**


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